"Absolutely,
we are looking all over Michigan at various different sites," said Kate Klotz, Whole Foods spokeswoman. "We are looking to almost
double the store number in the Midwest region over the next five years, and are looking to
see what sites are available."

Klotz did not offer any specific plans to locate in West Michigan or say where the next location will be.

"Once
we sign a lease and are legally approved, that’s when we make a formal
announcement about a new site," she said. "We can’t speak about any site even if it's
tentative."

Klotz said the company has specific criteria it looks for before opening any new location, listed on its website, including more than 200,000 people within 20 minutes of the store, a location allowing 25,000-50,000 square feet, college-educated residents, abundant parking, easy access from roadways, visibility and location in a high-traffic area.

The Wall Street Journal noted several reasons why the company chose "scruffy" Detroit for its newest Michigan location.

An unusual mix of business factors—some data driven, some instinctive,
some unique to urban development—prompted Whole Foods to take this leap.
And a leap it is. Detroit remains one of America's hardest hit urban
centers. Since the 1950s, more than half its population has taken
flight. Those abandoned homes seem to be everywhere. The city is now in
another budget crisis.

...

Population may have declined in the city overall, but in the last
several years it is up in parts of Midtown. That caught Whole Foods'
eye, and so did income in the area. (A company vice president) says the chief hard
metric in the company's calculations was education levels. "It's an
indication of a person's willingness to consider a healthier diet," he
says. Midtown scored well on that front, too.

John Bussey, the author of the Journal article, wrote that the company moving to Detroit was a positive sign for the city, and Whole Foods was not the first company to recently locate in the troubled area -- Quicken Loans recently relocated to the downtown area.

The prices at the Detroit store will be lower than in other markets, and it will also schedule classes in shopping on a budget for patrons.

What do you think? Are you disappointed the retailer isn't setting up shop in Grand Rapids?